The architect behind the art

The jewellery gallery includes replicas of Golconda diamonds

A month before the nationwide lockdown was announced, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) introduced visitors to two new spaces in its magnificent premises - a money gallery and a jewellery gallery. Both spaces are adjacent to one another, and we remember how seamless the experience of walking from the jewellery gallery to the money gallery was. The credit for that goes to Somaya & Kalappa Consultants (SNK), a leading architectural practice, which created a visual design narrative for the galleries.

SNK's association with CSMVS goes back a long way; they also worked on the museum's textile gallery in addition to the landmark exhibition, India and The World. They were approached to work on the galleries in early 2019, and the journey, director of SNK, Nandini Somaya Sampat, informs, was certainly challenging. Tomorrow, the architect will talk about the extensive process at an online lecture titled Creating spaces for treasured objects.

Nandini Somaya Sampat

"The museum has had a large numismatic collection (over 37,000 coins) for years, and it was displayed, too. I remember seeing it as a little girl. So, to bring out its story again was exciting. At the same time, what was special about the jewellery gallery is that it includes everyday jewellery and how it impacts life, beyond just the ‘value' of it," Sampat shares. The architect also informs that it helped that the design process was collaborative. They were roped in early on in the project - leaving them room for research, ideation and conversation with the museum team. It is these intricacies that she will elaborate on in her talk. "So, it's not like everything is discussed, and we're just handed over a list of things to do. It's an assimilation of knowledge over time," she adds.

On: April 28, 5.30 pm
Log on to: @csmvsmumbai on Instagram (for registration details)